Ballard

Peter Samore HOOVER HIGH -- The 2:40 mark in the third quarter signified a complete role reversal for both the boys' basketball teams of La Canada and Glendale highs. At that point, the Nitros came alive with a 20-0 run and the Spartans seemed to fade away, as La Canada was held scoreless in the nine-minute stretch. Glendale went on to win, 42-40, Tuesday in a Hoover High Summer League opener at Hoover High. "We just made our shots down the stretch," Glendale Coach Steve Snodgress said.

Hamlet Nalbandyan Music and sports. They're not exactly the likeliest of duos, unless of course you're a Ballard. As the story goes, mom Melanie is a music lover. Has been for as long as she can remember, and for the last 25 years, she's been a professional vocal and piano teacher. Dad Dennis is a sports nut. He graduated from Hoover High in 1964 after stints on the boys' basketball and baseball teams. He was the captain of Glendale Community College's baseball team soon thereafter, and then went on to play semi-pro baseball in the Baltimore Orioles organization.

Jim Riggio MONROVIA -- It didn't matter who was on the court for the La Canada High girls' basketball team Friday night when the Spartans visited Monrovia High. Whether the Spartan had their starting lineup in or if Coach Dennis Ballard went to his bench, La Canada dominated the Wildcats, 65-29, in a Rio Hondo League contest. "I think everybody showed that we're deep," Ballard said. "I was impressed with everyone that got in." All but one of the 14 Spartans scored, led by Laura Jones, who finished with 12. La Canada (16-5, 6-0)

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan That's exactly how they drew it up. Well, not really. La Canada High boys' basketball player Philip Anderson was supposed to set a screen on the low block, post up and get the ball in the final seconds of Saturday's second annual San Gabriel Valley All-Star Game. Instead, Anderson found himself with the ball 25 feet from the basket with three seconds on the clock, so there was nothing to do but heave up a shot that kept everyone's mouths open for what seemed like an eternity.

SAN MARINO--La Canada High, undefeated in Rio Hondo League play, was victorious in a girls basketball game, as the Spartans beat another undefeated team in San Marino High, 48-38. The game was close most of the way, as neither team led by more than seven through three quarters of play. Part of this was due to turnovers, especially underneath the basket. At one point in the first quarter, La Canada (14-5, 5-0) lost the ball on three of four plays due to bad passing into the post.

From Staff Reports The following are odds and ends from the week in area sports: BEWARE IN THE FIELD There's trouble looming when the batters on the La Canada High baseball team reach base. That extra spring in their legs from hustling down the base paths on an infield single has brought good results. These days, the Spartans (7-0, 2-0 in Rio Hondo League) are enamored with stealing bases. La Canada stole seven bases in its 7-3 home league win against South Pasadena on Friday.

After a 25-year wait, the La Cañada High baseball team finally returned to the penthouse of the Rio Hondo League. The Spartans enjoyed their breakout year, relying on an unproven crop of talent that had limited or no experience at the varsity level to deliver timely hits and make quality pitches. It proved to work without any hesitations. For a second consecutive year, it will be paramount for La Cañada to rely on the same formula in its quest to repeat as league champion.

Swinging small bats and kicking up dust in the infield, the pint-sized players in the Crescenta Valley Little League Pinto Division battled it out on the field last week for the division title. Damon's and Ballard and Ballard, tied for first place, played a potentially tie-breaking game Friday evening at Two Strike Park, but when Ballard and Ballard pulled off a 6-2 win, the teams were faced with a second playoff game on Saturday at Montrose Park. Damon's Santana Rivera and Dylan Archer scored in the first inning on a single base hit by Evan Nelson to put the team up 2-0. Archer and Nelson teamed up again in the fifth to score when Nelson whacked another RBI single, allowing Archer to run home for the final run for Damon's.

BURBANK ? With one former All-Area Player of the Year out of town, the reigning All-Area Player of the Year was regulated to the bench four minutes into the second half. Minus two stars, the La Ca"ada High girls' basketball team finished its summer schedule Tuesday in the John Burroughs 2006 Summer Jam. Already without Joy Lelo, the Spartans lost Emily Ballard to a nose injury and eventually suffered a 43-41 loss to a Hart squad that consisted of junior varsity and varsity players.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE ? One home run nearly landed on the softball field. Another landed just before rush-hour traffic on the Ventura (101) Freeway. Oaks Christian sent La Cañada headed for the freeway Tuesday after it eliminated the Spartans from the playoffs with an 11-4 home victory in a CIF Southern Section Division V second-round game. La Cañada (14-6) likely never faced a talented lineup as fourth-seeded Oaks Christian's (17-7) this season. Oaks Christian, which stretched its winning streak to 10, batted around in the third and fifth innings to score a combined 10 runs.

LA CA—ADA FLINTRIDGE ? The days of the La Cañada High baseball team's pitching struggles appear to be over. Starting pitching seemed to be a weakness for the Spartans throughout the first part of the season. That's no longer the case. Senior starter Kelson Brown allowed one hit in six innings and Stanley Kim drove in three runs Thursday to lead host La Cañada to a 5-0 victory against Serra in a CIF Southern Section Division V first-round contest. La Cañada, which won its ninth consecutive game, will meet fourth-seeded Oaks Christian ?

LA CA—ADA FLINTRIDGE ? If Tripp Sherrod could help it, a lower-back injury that occurred during a snowboarding accident in Lake Tahoe, Calif., wasn't going to shelve him for an extended period of time. Sherrod knew the injury wasn't serious, but what he couldn't determine was how much time he'd miss competing for the La Cañada High baseball team. Now, he's back and able to contribute for the Spartans following the mid-February accident. Sherrod went two for two and drove in three runs to carry host La Cañada to a key 11-2 Rio Hondo League victory against Temple City on Friday.

After a 25-year wait, the La Cañada High baseball team finally returned to the penthouse of the Rio Hondo League. The Spartans enjoyed their breakout year, relying on an unproven crop of talent that had limited or no experience at the varsity level to deliver timely hits and make quality pitches. It proved to work without any hesitations. For a second consecutive year, it will be paramount for La Cañada to rely on the same formula in its quest to repeat as league champion.